Pumpkin Chicken Curry

I think that a lot of ethnic food seems scary to make.  The truth is though, it's generally pretty easy, you just need the right ingredients.  The great thing is, you buy the ingredients, particularly the seasonings once, and then you have them on hand for a quick weeknight recipe.  I have always loved the Pumpkin Chicken Curry from Osha Thai.  This being pumpkin season and Michelle wanting to have everything pumpkin, it seemed like a good recipe to try and tackle.  

For a delicious dinner for two, plus leftovers for lunch, you will need: 

1 small pumpkin or butternut squash, about 1 1/2 lbs (I used a Sugar Pie Pumpkin, they have them at Whole Foods this time of year)

2 shallots

3 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

2 tablespoons water

1 can unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 lime

2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons basil (Thai basil if you can find it)

Steamed rice

Rice is the perfect accompaniment to curry.  We buy brown rice in bulk at Whole Foods, you could of course use instant rice as well.  Real rice though takes 45-50 minutes to cook, so get started on this first.    If you don't know how to cook rice you should probably be reading a different blog...  Seriously though, the typical ratio is 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.  Simmer on low, covered, until water is absorbed.  For more flavorful rice, try using chicken broth instead of water, it's delicious.

A couple of things to note about working with a pumpkin.  First, try it.  It's really not that hard.  Second, if you can't find a pumpkin you can use a butternut squash.  Third, you can be lazy and buy the squash already cubed.  Really though, just buy a pumpkin and cube it yourself.  This is my first time cooking with a whole pumpkin.  It's pretty cool considering how seasonal the ingredient is.

To get started, cut the pumpkin in half, through the stem.

Then scoop out the seeds and clean the inside to get rid of all the strings.  Save the seeds to roast them later (stay tuned for that post).

Then peel the pumpkin using a sharp knife.  Be careful and go slow.  Then cube the pumpkin into bite sized 1 inch cubes.

Next, boil the pumpkin for about 7 minutes or until fork tender.  Once soft, drain and place in a bowl to be used later.

Chop the shallots and garlic.  

Place the shallots, garlic, curry paste, and 2 tablespoons of water into a small food processor.  You could finely chop the veggies and combine with the paste by hand if you don't have a food processor.

Pulse a few times until paste forms and veggies are finely chopped.

Next, combine the coconut milk, brown sugar, juice of the lime, and the fish sauce.  Whisk to incorporate the sugar.

Cube the chicken into pieces similar in shape to the pumpkin, about 1 inch cubes.  Then heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil over medium heat and cook the chicken.  Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the pan.  Add the curry paste and cook for just about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Scrape up the brown bits from the chicken along the way.  Then add the coconut milk mixture and bring to a simmer.

Add the pumpkin and chicken and simmer for a few minutes until the chicken is fully cooked, the pumpkin is tender, and the flavors have all incorporated.

After about 5 minutes or so you should be good to go.

Top the curry with some chopped basil, and serve with a side of steamed rice.  

Super easy, really delicious, and very versatile.  Now that I know how to make curry I will definitely be trying other varieties using different ingredients.